Three Weeks Later

Yesterday, I finished with my first three weeks of language school. Although only four hours each morning, it is rather exhausting. My professor, Harvey Toledo, gave me hundreds of vocab words and about a hundred new verbs. We also touched on 12 of the 14 verb tenses, spending hours on each of the major 7. Just as when I was learning Spanish in high school, I have found that my understanding of the English counterparts to Spanish grammar has increased as well. I even came up with an example of the subjunctive voice in English (that requires conjugation): "The teacher demands that the student finish his homework." It sort of falls between the present and future tenses, "the student finishes," and "the student will finish."

Enough of grammar, although I'd bet a select group of you find it interesting (now I'm seeing subjunctivity everywhere). During the past weeks I've met up with more of the SI staff, including Oscar, who was sick the first week I was here. I've been able to spend some time getting to know Nic and Maurine Bekaert. They invited Fernando's wife and kids and I over for crêpes after they moved into their house. Nic had to call his mother in France for the recipe. We also all went to a big fiesta last Sunday; one of Oscar's daughters had her fifteenth birthday. The coming of age ceremony was like a slightly scaled back wedding. There was a ring bearer and a pillow girl, and vows were exchanged. The quinceañera knelt on the pillow while her father and pastor blessed her. There was food also. Lots of food. And a church service. It was enough to wear me out.

I don't believe I mentioned that Fernando left for the States a few days after I arrived for a two-week fundraising and relationship-building tour. How this most affected me, is that since Fernando's wife has a hard time with the clutch, I got to have my first foreign driving experience. Saturday before last, I drove the whole crew to the capital in the rain (actually, it has rained just about every day since I got here) for a YWAM lunch. It turns out that Fernando and his wife met while in YWAM, lived and worked for years at the base in Guatemala City, and raised their children there. They were all getting together to talk about a youth magazine they want to start.

More about the driving. At first glance, it seems that here, like in most other cities of the world, traffic laws are rather loosely interpreted. People drive extremely close to one another, so they have no qualms with squeezing their cars into a not quite car-sized opening in the next lane. Also, pedestrians never seem to have the right of way. But, since few here have insurance, they are also very attentive. It's amazing how fast so many cars, vans, buses, jalopies, and motorcycles can fit down a road when everyone is concentrating on the road. Driving is relaxing by no means, but neither is it heart stopping.

Back to the present, I leave Antigua today to live and work with pastor and veterinarian Mario Mendez for one week in Magdalena, the town where most of the SI ministries are located. When we met at the first staff meeting, he told me that I should come and work with him for a while, that we could go and vaccinate some cows. He said this in a joking voice, but I'm not sure...

Anyway, I return to Antigua on the 12th to resume language school, and possibly any and all communication with the outside world.

Once again I thank you all for your prayers, your support, and your love.